Oraibi

Oraibi is a Hopi village in Navajo County, Arizona. It was founded sometime before 1100, and it was one of the few villages to survive the severe droughts of the 13th century; many refugees from other villages moved to Oraibi. By 1890, the village had a population of 905. Contact with the Europeans remained scant until 1629, when the Spanish established a Catholic mission in Oraibi, but the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 ended the mission's existence and drove the Spanish from the area. In 1870, an Indian agent was sent to the Hopi by the US government, and the Hopi Reservation's establishment in 1882 led to the US government kidnapping Hopi children and sending them to be educated in assimilationist schools. Rivalry between the pro-assimilation Friendlies and the traditionalist Hostiles led to the Hostiles being expelled from the village in 1906, and they founded Hotevilla. The population loss in Oraibi led to its decline, and Kykotsmovi Village became the center of the Hopi government. Oraibi continued to resist modern culture despite the victory of the Friendlies, as the residents were very private, did not allow for photographs to be taken in the town, and maintained Hopi traditions.